It was a sweet treat filled with sugary serenades for fans of David Archuleta at his recent concert in Kuala Lumpur.
IN person, David Archuleta brims with childlike candour, giggling profusely when we asked him about girls. Apparently, the 21-year-old singer from Utah, the United States, has never been kissed.
Kicking back on a couch at Hilton Hotel in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, he confessed that he isnβt a mushy person, blushing as he did.
Dreamy: David Archuleta had no trouble entertaining the 2,500-strong crowd at his KL concert.
βFans have tried to kiss me,β he said coyly. βBut they usually donβt succeed. I have quick reflexes. Itβs okay if my grandma or my mum and sister kiss me on the cheek, but otherwise, itβs just weird.β
He insisted that a kiss isnβt just a kiss. βI feel that itβs very important and itβs not something you should just give away. I know sometimes people go like: βOh, youβre cute, Iβm gonna kiss youβ, but for me, sharing a kiss means you care for someone, that you feel affection for them. I donβt wanna be giving it away like candy.β ( sorry girls, you have to be that very special one if you dream of getting a kiss from David ) π
Archuleta added he has never been in a relationship. βI havenβt found that someone special yet and Iβm still saving my first kiss for whoever that is.β
His single, My Kind Of Perfect, he said, epitomises his quest for the right girl.
βItβs my perfect love song,β he shared with a twinkle in his eyes. βItβs for a future girl who I donβt know yet. I wrote that song while thinking about who is she going to be? Or have I already met her?β
He hasnβt let fame mess with his head either. βI donβt wanna go on a date and just hook up with girls for fun. I donβt like that. I think itβs very important to respect girls and really get to know the person youβll marry and spend the rest of your life with.β
The affable pop singer channelled his hopeful longing at his concert in Stadium Negara, Kuala Lumpur, the following night, bringing on that honeyed charm that so effectively lulled nearly 2,500 fans.
The absence of fireworks and fancy costume changes meant that Archuleta had only one thing to rely on β his voice. He used it well, too, flaunting his signature vocal prowess on emotive, baby-smooth numbers.
He looked completely immersed in a visceral calm as he sang the maple syrup-drenched verses of My Kind Of Perfect while playing the piano. βItβs my love song,β he told fans, his face shining with mirthful belief.
Maybe Iβve known you all my life / Is she the one? Is it today? / Will I turn the corner / see my future in a beautiful face, maybe, he sang.
Indeed, it was a sweet treat filled with sugary serenades for fans of the pop singer that night. No more was he the shy little boy we conversed with earlier.
Onstage, young Archuleta possessed the pomp and readiness of a much older performer, radiating surety and confidence all through the one-hour plus affair.
βPerforming on stage, seeing all my fans and feeling their energy is the greatest feeling ever,β said Archuleta, who was met with joyous, ear-splitting screams the moment he stepped on stage.
Archuleta, who emerged the runner-up on the hit reality series, American Idol, in 2008 kicked off the set with the catchy Stomping The Roses, brandishing the energetic opening with youthful enthusiasm.
Clearly, the boy ( replace with ‘man’ here π ) knew what he was doing and he was doing it well. Fans clung onto every word as he took them through The Other Side Of Down, Love Donβt Hate and Something Bout Love.
If anything, the absence of fireworks and fancy costume changes meant that Archuleta had only one thing to rely on β his voice. Heβd used it well, too, flaunting his signature vocal prowess on emotive, baby-smooth numbers that make you just want to smile.
He went on with the radio-friendly A Little Too Not Over You before breaking into an evocative cover of Tears for Fearsβ Everybody Wants To Rule The World.
Speaking of which, Archuleta was certainly big on covers that night, asserting his gentle appeal on popular all-time favourites like Gnarls Barkleyβs Crazy and Brian Adamsβ Heaven, which made the show feel somewhat like a prolonged, live-sized version of American Idol at times β minus the entertaining tirades from its ex-judge Simon Cowell.
Still, the mood was mostly chipper and light-hearted throughout, buoyed by breezy sing-a-longs like Elevator and his rendition of Vanessa Carltonβs A Thousand Miles. When the Ben E. King classic, Stand By Me, came to play, almost everyone in the crowd, as though jolted by instinct, began clapping in synchrony.
Archuleta may not have the rocking edge of Adam Lambert or the girlish sassiness of Carrie Underwood, but the baby-faced singer certainly has the talent and charisma to pull off his own show.
He ended the night with his hit single Crush, looking thoroughly ecstatic as he poured his heart out.
Again another positive review. Stay tuned for more reviews in the next couple of days as I noticed quite a lot of media people there during the concert.